Basic Details
Word: Diagonal
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Going in a slanting straight line; as a noun, a straight line joining two opposite corners of a square or other shape.
Synonyms: slanting, oblique, crosswise
Word origin: From Greek diagonios, from dia, through, and gonia, angle.
How to Spell Diagonal
Syllables: di - ag - o - nal
Tricky part: The word starts dia, not dai or dy, and ends onal: students often drop the o and write diagnal.
Watch out for: diagnal, daigonal, diaganol
Memory tip: Dia means across, as in diameter, and gon means angle, as in polygon. A diagonal goes across from one angle to another.
Usage Examples
Example 1: The farmer planted his mango saplings in neat diagonal rows.
Example 2: A diagonal crack ran across the old classroom wall.
Example 3: Fold the paper along its diagonal to make a triangle.
Fun Fact
A square has two diagonals, a pentagon has five and a hexagon has nine.
Practise the CREST Way
Spell-o-Spell
Only one of these words is spelt correctly. Choose its meaning:
1. diagonal 2. horizantal 3. paralel 4. perpendiculer
a) always the same distance apart and never meeting
b) a slanting line joining opposite corners
c) flat and level with the ground
d) at a right angle to another line
Show answer
b) a slanting line joining opposite corners. Parallel needs two l's in the middle, perpendicular ends in ar and horizontal has an o after the z.
Word Cookie
Fill in the missing letters to complete the word:
di_g_nal
a) e, o
b) a, a
c) o, o
d) a, o
Show answer
d) a, o. Think of dia, as in diameter, for the first gap; gon, as in polygon, gives the o.
Mingle-Mangle
Unjumble the letters in the sentence to form a meaningful word:
Draw a ganoldia across the carrom board from one pocket to the other.
a) dialogue
b) diagonal
c) diameter
d) diagram
Show answer
b) diagonal. Diagram and dialogue have no n, and diameter has no g, so the eight letters spell diagonal.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. A diagonal of a rectangle joins ____.
a) two opposite corners
b) a corner to the centre
c) the middle of two sides
d) two neighbouring corners
Show answer
a) two opposite corners
2. A path that cuts diagonally across a park runs ____.
a) in a circle round the park
b) straight up and down a hill
c) at a slant from corner to corner
d) along one edge of the park
Show answer
c) at a slant from corner to corner
